Dry days ahead Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh all set to follow Bihar’s lead on prohibition

Two BJP-ruled states in northern India Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are all set to follow Bihar’s lead by effecting total ban within their borders in the coming years. A few days after suggesting at the imposition of a complete liquor ban on Madhya Pradesh in a beautiful manner, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said alcohol was “generally” the cause of sexual harassment evidence in the state. Recently, Election Commission has mentioned that no tampering with EVM must be observed In Madhya Pradesh.

Chouhan has reportedly arrived under pressure from ongoing anti-liquor protests as well as decisions made by Nitish Kumar and Raman Singh, his equivalents in Bihar and Chhattisgarh, to effect total prohibition in their states.

Kumar had spoken on the need for the complete ban during appointments to both Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in the common past. Singh declared on Kumar in Patna on Tuesday, coming which he published that liquor sale would initially be forbidden in villages with a population of up to 3,000 people. The ban has already been inflicted on communities with a population of up to 2,000 people, the Chhattisgarh chief minister stated, adding that liquor is currently being marketed only from government outlets.

Liquor shops positioned near residential localities, religious places, national highways and educational institutes should be shifted

Discussing administrative and police officers during the Samadhan online program on Tuesday, Chouhan declared that “the government related to the people, not liquor sellers.” “Nothing matter more than the dignity of women and human life. It has been observed that liquor is behind criminal incidents such as eve-teasing,” he said.

During the Narmada Seva Yatra held a couple of days ago, the Madhya Pradesh chief minister had spoken of imposing a total prohibition on the state in a phased manner. “The state is running towards alcohol prohibition in a phased manner. Liquor shops have been locked down in areas close to the Narmada river. Liquor shops positioned near residential localities, religious places, national highways and educational institutes should be shifted. There should be no lackluster approach in this regard. The officers should change their mindset as far as revenue earned through liquor shops is concerned,” an official spokesperson quoted him as saying.

Liquor stores that cannot be shifted would be locked down “in a legal manner,” he added. Chouhan also requested officials to clamp down on the sale of illicit liquor, promising to guide about stringent provisions to this effect. The state has been testifying widespread protests against changing liquor shops from highways to residential areas in the light of a popular Supreme Court mandate.

Madhya Pradesh is recognized one of the most insecure states in the country as far as women’s safety is concerned. In 2015, it recorded 4,391 rapes the highest in the country and 8,049 cases of a mugging on women with the intent of offending their modesty. The state also witnessed 57 cases of ventured rape during this period. Lately, it was also found that a majority of the government school in Madhya Pradesh was running without students.